PRESCHOOL (2½ - 5 years old)

Every Sunday at 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM in Rooms 120 and 121

Our mission for Preschoolers is to meet them where they are, and with the help of their parents, help them to grow more like Jesus by modeling His love and care. As with our Nursery, we use the First Look curriculum. By the time your child is five years old, we want them to know Three Basic Truths:

   1. God Made Me

   2. God Loves Me

   3. Jesus Wants To Be My Friend Forever

We use drama, video and small groups to bring variety and meet your kids where they are through dynamic learning about God's virtues and how to use them at home to begin making positive differences in the world. Every week they'll be engaged in an interactive learning time designed just for them with the following components:

MAKE IT FUN
Each teaching lesson begins with activities that are fun and welcoming. These activities are designed to make the children feel drawn into the classroom. Not only do they help the children become more comfortable in their classroom, they also introduce the Bottom Line for the month. In addition, these activities build community with leaders and friends.

MAKE IT TRUE
After a fun time with classroom friends, children are led to a large group time for the Bible story and worship. Whether you tell the Bible story in a classroom or theater, this is when children get to hear the truth of God’s Word and rejoice through worship. First Look, our curriculum, provides the Bible story in words that children will understand and relate to their own lives. By telling the story in an exciting and interactive manner, we enable children to want to learn about God and all that He has done.

During worship, children are encouraged to openly express their love for who God is and praise Him for all He has created. The curriculum recommends songs as well as provides hand motions. Get up and dance with the children! In addition, leaders are equipped to teach the month’s memory verse in this section.

MAKE IT STICK
Children return to their classroom to participate in a variety of activities that will help them apply what they have learned. These activities may be crafts, games, or even yummy snacks. Each activity reinforces that month’s Bottom Line in a fun and interactive way. Throughout this time of the lesson the Bottom Line is repeated to be sure each child knows the truth of God’s love.

MAKE IT REAL

The 3 through 5-year-olds are led into a small group time where they can personalize the lesson and have a time for prayer. In small groups, relationships grow as children are encouraged to share their thoughts about the Bottom Line and talk to God in their own words.

Parent Cues

Parent Cues Cues are weekly handout that line up with the First Look lessons, allowing parents to continue the conversation during ‘Drive Time’, ‘Hang Time’, ‘Meal Time’, and ‘Parent Time’ throughout the week. They are a way for the parent and child to interact over what was learned each week at church.

During the month of October, we talked about how we are "wonderfully made" from God. In November, we are learning how to be in the Happy Helper's Club through our Bible stories and activities. In fact, we say, "Be kind and loving to each other," which happens to be our memory verse for the month. Make sure you reinforce this at home by saying the memory verse with your kids (here is what you say and do):

    “‘Be kind (smile really big, tilt your head to the side, and point to your cheeks) and loving (give yourself a great, big hug) to (hold up two fingers) each other’ (point to people with both pointer fingers), Ephesians 4:32 (open your hands like a book).”